# Modern Christmas music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 8, 2007, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244 "2007-12-08T02:01:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244/1 "2007-12-08T02:01:02Z")
You know, the kind that you hear at the hipper stores in the mall. Usually they’re cool slower tempo techno remixes of classics or sometimes they’re totally newer Christmas songs altogether, but without being Jessica Simpson singing the Little Drummer Boy, you know what I mean? My friends and family love Christmas music, but most of them haven’t updated to anything more modern than Manheim Steamroller (and I hate Manheim fucking Steamroller). I’m looking for single songs pretty much so that I might burn a CD or two so that when it’s music time I can at least find a little something that I can nod my head along to. Even though it’s not one of my favored genres cool electro remixes might be best since mom will recognize them too but anything that gives me a break will work. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244/2 "2007-12-08T02:42:41Z")
Although it may not be what you’re looking for, “Jingle Bell Rock” is always good. Mom should recognize it, too. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244/3 "2007-12-08T10:03:37Z")
How about Cliff Richard? ---
**Author:** ![3acresandatruck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e79b87/32.png) [@3acresandatruck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3acresandatruck)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244/4 "2007-12-08T11:15:36Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] You know, the kind that you hear at the hipper stores in the mall. Usually they’re cool slower tempo techno remixes of classics or sometimes they’re totally newer Christmas songs altogether, but without being Jessica Simpson singing the Little Drummer Boy, you know what I mean? [/QUOTE] Let me start by saying that I don’t know what they play at the hipper stores at the mall. I don’t know which stores at the mall are the hipper stores. I don’t even know what stores are at the mall… But I like “The Jethro Tull Christmas Album”, so I figured I’d mention it. It includes “A Christmas Song” and “Ring Out Solstice Bells” from earlier albums (personally, I like the earlier versions a little better than the ones on this album). My favorites from this CD are “Birthday Card at Christmas”, “Last Man at the Party”, “Fire At Midnight”, and “First Snow on Brooklyn”. If you like Tull, check it out. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244/5 "2007-12-08T11:19:45Z")
I walked over to the shopping mall near where we live today and was harassed by a never-ending rendition of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.” ☹ The stores and malls here have caught on that Christmas = big profits, because of all the Westerners here, but they have no idea what’s good and bad in terms of Christmas music. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@The\_Tof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tof)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244/6 "2007-12-08T13:05:04Z")
My absolute favorite in this vein is Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLoughlin singing “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman.” There’s also a cover of “Oi to the World” by No Doubt out there that is pretty fun. (It’s a cover of an old punk song, but I don’t know who did the original version) Bruce Springsteen “Santa Clause is Comin’ to Town” if you can find the live version (He makes fun of his clarinet singer ‘Clarence’ in the beginning and stufflike that) is also pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244/7 "2007-12-08T13:53:53Z")
Obligatory [Carols for a Cure](http://singinglibrarian.wordpress.com/2007/12/07/carols-for-a-cure/) plug. Great music, great cause, great price. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244/8 "2007-12-09T04:45:57Z")
Check out [The Reindeer Room: A Christmas Chillout](http://www.amazon.com/Reindeer-Room-Christmas-Chillout/dp/B00006JY97/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1197175367&sr=8-1). ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244/9 "2007-12-09T05:03:53Z")
[Count Your Blessings](http://www.amazon.com/Count-Your-Blessings-Various-Artists/dp/B0000074Z0/ref=pd_bbs_5?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1197176585&sr=8-5) ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244/10 "2007-12-09T05:04:45Z")
[QUOTE=The Tof] There’s also a cover of “Oi to the World” by No Doubt out there that is pretty fun. (It’s a cover of an old punk song, but I don’t know who did the original version) [/QUOTE] **The Vandals** did the original, which _rocks_, and their whole Christmas album is… probably not quite what the OP is looking for, but it’s definitely different! I do, however, recommend their version of \*Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies. \* 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244/11 "2007-12-09T05:45:06Z")
My favorite Christmas album is [Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas](http://www.amazon.com/Merry-Christmas-Mariah-Carey/dp/B000BC8TBE/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1197177093&sr=8-2). It’s mostly versions of classic Christmas songs, but I love [“Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExvvzDRTN3k) and [All I Want For Christmas Is You"](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8rY0Fyws20). I also love the Waitresses’ [“Christmas Wrapping”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP_WH4heId4), even though it’s almost as old as me. We play a lot of what you would call “hip mall store Christmas music” at work, but it’s hard to know who does which versions of what because you can’t search by lyrics – they’re the same whether it’s Christina Aguilera or Bing Crosby. We do play a number of songs that I categorize as late 90s remixes of 40s and 50s classics, but I don’t know by whom. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244/12 "2007-12-09T08:42:49Z")
I think I got it. I just got two CD’s from Amazon, [both under the names Christmas Remixed](http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Remixed-Holiday-Classics-Re-Grooved/dp/B0000DC3TL) I’ve had the Vandals Christmas album for years, and I dig the Twisted Sister one too, but these I think will appeal to more of a mixed crowd. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244/13 "2007-12-09T14:52:49Z")
We always spin up [A Christmas Story by Point of Grace](http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Story-Point-Grace/dp/B00006BTCN/ref=m_art_bow_1) . It has a lot of standard Christmas fare but it’s sung in beautiful harmony by these four women and it’s just nicely put together. ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244/14 "2007-12-09T17:35:07Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] I think I got it. I just got two CD’s from Amazon, [both under the names Christmas Remixed](http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Remixed-Holiday-Classics-Re-Grooved/dp/B0000DC3TL) I’ve had the Vandals Christmas album for years, and I dig the Twisted Sister one too, but these I think will appeal to more of a mixed crowd. [/QUOTE] Well, this CD let me put names to some of the music at work. We play the songs on tracks 2, 3, 4, 10, and 12. So now I know. Thanks! ETA: And off of [this one](http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Remixed-Vol-Various-Artists/dp/B000A2H1ZU/ref=pd_sim_m_title_1), tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, and 11. You have no idea how happy I am that I know who sings these now. I guess I probably could have e-mailed Muzak and asked them for a song listing, but this is better IMO. ---
**Author:** ![brendon\_small](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brendon_small/32/17101_2.png) [@brendon\_small](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brendon_small)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244/15 "2007-12-09T20:01:39Z")
Just to suggest it again, Jars of Clay playing “Little Drummer Boy” is pretty amazing. Not techno, but wonderful as far as a good version of a classic song. I figure I’ll keep suggesting it to everyone I can. Brendon Small ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244/16 "2007-12-10T04:41:49Z")
Mannheim Steamroller has some good techno-y Christmas music. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244/17 "2007-12-10T12:43:17Z")
**Cyndi Lauper** does some neat stuff on her [Christmas album](http://www.cyndilauper.com/discography/merry-xmas), especially (imo) _Feels Like Christmas_ and _Home on Christmas Day_… ---
**Author:** ![MissRancher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@MissRancher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissRancher)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244/18 "2007-12-10T13:13:06Z")
My new favorite song of the moment is **Xmas Song** by [Meiko](http://www.meikomusic.com) . Not a happy song, which is probably why I like it… ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244/19 "2007-12-10T18:00:16Z")
my favorite Christmas song to come out of the 21st Century is **A Great Big Sled, by The Killers**. - The robot’s awake to find out they’ve been taped down wondering when they’ll break through these chains but little boys have action toys for brains I’m living proof it can last a long time \* ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244/20 "2007-12-11T01:09:06Z")
[QUOTE=brendon\_small] Just to suggest it again, Jars of Clay playing “Little Drummer Boy” is pretty amazing. Not techno, but wonderful as far as a good version of a classic song. I figure I’ll keep suggesting it to everyone I can. [/QUOTE] Electronic band The Echoing Green also does a version of “Little Drummer Boy” (soundclip [here](http://wm10.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fpfqxq8aldfe)) and a cover of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” that is a great dance song (soundclip [here](http://wm10.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wxfexqqkldhe) that only plays part of the instrumental intro that is not dancy at all). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-christmas-music/429244.md?page=2)